Hidden Treasure
by Gwen Pennington
Summary: Oliver Wood oneshot written for a contest at Dead Poet Press.


Gwen and Oliver Wood were on their way home from a Quidditch match one evening, flying on their brooms because neither had mastered the skill of Apparating. They looked down at the landscape and admired the rolling green hills and the small forests that dotted them. They had not seen many houses so far, since the Quidditch Pitch was set in an isolated area. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew over them, taking with it Gwen's sandals.

"There go your thongs," Oliver said. "I told you it was a bad idea to wear them."

"Oh, well," Gwen replied. "I prefer to be barefoot anyway."

Thick rain clouds started rolling in, and the couple was still far from home. Soon large raindrops began pelting them, and they looked for some place to stop.

"There!" Gwen shouted, spotting a desolate farmhouse in the fields below.

They landed in front of the house and stepped up onto the wrap-around porch. No lights shone in the dirty windows, and Oliver peered in curiously while Gwen tried the door. The exterior of the house was beautifully designed, albeit in need of a wash and a fresh coat of paint. The shutters hung loose and the chimney appeared to be crumbling. They received no answer and judged the house to be empty. They figured they could stay inside until the storm passed, and they hurried inside the unlocked door.

The house was nicely furnished in the Victorian style, and a thick layer of dust covered everything. The couple stepped softly in hopes of keeping the dust down as they explored the house. Gwen led the way to the sitting room and approached a curio cabinet in the corner with interest. The tasseled key stuck out of the lock, and she turned it carefully, hearing a click.

After slowly opening the door, she reached in and picked up a snow globe. Oliver came up behind her, looking over her shoulder at the scene inside the globe.

"Hey..." he said slowly, "it looks just like this house."

"You're right," Gwen replied. She shook the globe to watch the snow and glitter swirl, but stirred up the dust resting on top. The dust got in her face and up her nose, making her sneeze.

"Bless you," Oliver offered.

"Thanks."

Gwen still held the snow globe when they left the room, walking around and finding the kitchen. A wooden table made for four stood in a breakfast nook, and Gwen could imagine the scene without all the dust, sun shining in the windows and falling on a family seated there. Gwen admired the granite counters set atop oak cabinets, and noticed the lack of modern appliances. _Either this place hasn't been lived in for a long time, or this isn't a Muggle house,_ she thought.

"Check this out," Oliver said from behind her, and she turned to face him. "This calendar is fifty years old. We must be the first people to enter this house in decades." She could see the awe on his face. "Hey, what are those? Talk about out of place."

Gwen twisted to see what he was pointing at, and noticed a bowl of small orange fruits on the counter that she had somehow missed before. She moved closer to get a get a better look, and picked one up for closer inspection.

"It's a kumquat," she said simply.

"It's a what?"

"A kumquat. It's a citrus fruit. The rind is fairly sweet, but the inside is terribly bitter. I wouldn't recommend eating them. Well, not the inside anyway..."

She studied the small fruit carefully, wondering how and why a bowl of fresh kumquats would be sitting on the counter in a house that had not been occupied for half a century. Oliver observed as Gwen produced her wand to test the kumquat for enchantments or poisons, but there did not seem to be anything amiss. She lifted the fruit to her mouth and took a small bite of the rind before Oliver could stop her.

"What is the matter with you?" he exclaimed. "Just because you didn't detect anything doesn't mean that thing won't kill you!"

"I'm fine," she asserted, waving him off. "You should have some." She peeled more of the skin off and offered it to him. He eyed her doubtfully, but accepted the peel.

"All right, but only because I love you," he said, hesitantly putting it in his mouth. "I do like the taste..." He let the flavor sink in and appeared to be awaiting his death.

"See, we're fine," Gwen said. "So you can swallow and wipe that look off your face."

As soon as he swallowed, something... odd happened. The vivid color of the kumquats seemed to spread from the bowl, giving new life to everything in the kitchen. As the color spread, the thick layer of dust disappeared.

Gwen and Oliver stood still for several moments as the house's sparkle returned. _That was... unexpected,_ Gwen thought.

"What just happened?" Oliver asked.

"I'm not sure," Gwen answered slowly. She looked back to the bowl of kumquats and found a letter in its place. She picked it up and read aloud.

_Congratulations! You have been brave enough to taste of the mysterious kumquats in the dusty old house. As a reward for your bravery, you and your spouse may live in this house without any financial obligation. Enjoy your years together!_

There was no signature on the note, and they both inspected it for any hidden traps. The rain stopped, but it was late so they went upstairs and found a master bedroom containing a large four-poster bed and thick carpet. The fireplace was lit, and the room appeared to be waiting for them. Gwen and Oliver looked at each other and shrugged before undressing for bed.

The night passed without event, and when morning came, they decided to move into the old house. They shared many happy years together, and there they raised a family.


End file.
